Marlins riding momentum into series against struggling Rays

For the Miami Marlins in the past six games, it has been sweeps week.

Winners of three straight, the National League East club will look to continue the enjoyable aspect of sweeping when it renews its in-state rivalry with the visiting Tampa Bay Rays in a three-game series that starts Friday night.

Second-year manager Clayton McCullough's squad rectified the dubious act of dropping three in New York to the Mets last weekend by handling the Washington Nationals beginning on Monday.

"I thought offensively we really just (ground) out at-bats and put a lot of people on base and kept giving ourselves shots," McCullough said after Wednesday's 4-1 victory behind unbeaten starter Max Meyer (6-0, 2.81 ERA). "And three days here, I think the pitching was probably the story for me.

"To come in here and pitch the way we did for three days was the big key."

It was a well-timed response after losing two of three in Toronto and going winless in the Big Apple during a five-game losing skid.

Added McCullough: "We kind of came in here scuffling some from Toronto and New York. But we put that behind us."

Shortstop Otto Lopez leads the majors with a .336 batting average and has been successful on 10 of 13 stolen base attempts. Second baseman Xavier Edwards is hitting .311 with the same stolen base numbers as his double-play partner.

Right-hander Ryan Gusto (0-0, 9.00 ERA) will open the game for the Marlins and he will be followed by Tyler Phillips (0-1, 1.63).

Gusto has allowed three runs over three innings in two relief appearances this season.

While the right-handed Phillips has a strong hits-to-innings-pitched number, ERA and just one homer against him, he has issued 19 walks in 38 2/3 innings.

Against the American League East club, Phillips has no record and a 5.68 ERA in four relief appearances spanning 6 1/3 frames.

The Rays will counter with Drew Rasmussen (4-2, 3.36), who surrendered five runs in four innings Saturday to the Los Angeles Angels in a 14-3 rout, ballooning the right-hander's ERA from his previous 2.78.

In five starts and two relief outings against Miami, Rasmussen is 3-0 with a 2.30 ERA and a save.

Manager Kevin Cash said the recent promotion of pitcher Mason Englert could be a significant addition as the club will look to stretch the right-hander out and get more innings from him, perhaps even as a starter.

In Wednesday's 7-2 home loss to the Detroit Tigers, who swept a trio from the homestanding Rays, the right-handed Englert relieved starter Nick Martinez after the staff ace turned in his worst outing thus far.

Martinez had entered the matchup allowing two runs or fewer in 11 starts to open 2026, but the Tigers bashed him for six runs on nine hits in four innings.

Englert followed with five frames, allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts.

"The bullpen's been used pretty heavily of late," said Cash, whose group is 2-8 in the past 10 games. "Mason's a guy we sent down with the anticipation of building him out a little bit as a starter. ... We'll use him however we see fit and know he's contributed to us in the past and will do some good things."

The Rays plated 18 runs in taking two of three from the Marlins in St. Petersburg last month.

--Field Level Media